Le Regourdou

Welcome to Regourdou

The extraordinary story of Regourdou began in 1954 when Roger Constant owner of a farm near the Lascaux cave, undertakes excavations on his land.

He hopes to find the cave's original entrance. He digs at night after his work as a farmer.
After 3 years, on the night of September 22nd to 23rd 1957, Roger Constant made an exceptional discovery. He uncovered a Mousterian deposit revealing the burial site of a Neanderthal.  The 80- to 90,000-year-old skeleton is the most complete and best-preserved in the world. for this Middle Paleolithic period.
From then on, archaeological excavation campaigns followed one another... Archaeologists discovered a converted tomb in which lay a Neanderthal and the skeleton of a brown bear. The site was listed as a historic monument in 1959.
But the story doesn't end there...Roger Constant continues his excavations a few meters away and uncovers a chasm where he discovers marine fossils and an important ochre deposit.

All these discoveries make Le Regourdou an exceptional site, contributing to a better understanding of Neanderthal man and his way of life.

In 1988, to commemorate the presence of bears at Moustérien, Roger Constant decided to build a large park and reintroduce the brown bear. Today, you can admire four magnificent bears - Charly, Noisette, Cassy and Mishka - evolving in a natural environment.

Roger Constant died in 2002 at the age of 81, having devoted his life to the Regourdou. Today, his niece Michèle CONSTANT welcomes you and offers you an exceptional guided tour of this unique place.

Le Regourdou is open from February to November, so you can come and admire its chasm, its deposit, its living bear park, and its farm transformed into a museum.

Also on the Regourdou site, the bears' restaurant will welcome you from Easter to All Saints' Day for on-site lunch. all the info here.
You can also take advantage of the picnic area just opposite Regourdou.